fletcher



, 2 Sheets-8het 1. I B. M. FLETCHER.

' (No Model.)

. APPARATUS 110R. UTILIZING POWER OF SEA WAVES. No. 581,067.

Patented'ApI. 20 1897.

Zflzin'esses UNITED STATES PATE T QFFICE.

BERNARD MORLEY L'ETcHER, OF LONDON, ENGLAN A APPARATUS 'FOR.U TlL|ZlNG- POWER ,OF' ss-A -wAv'l-z's.

- j SPEGIFICATIOII forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,067, dated April 20, 1897.

. Application filed June 20,1896.

Serial iro. 's9s,s1s. No model.)

To all w am it may concern..-

Various attemptshave been made from time to time to obtain useful energy from the vertical oscillation 'of adbuoy caused by the motion of waves, but none of these have v hitherto met with conspicuous success. The

forces andyet which shall always remain an, approximately constant distance" below the undisturbed level of the water, that'i's below forms of my apparatus, in which the chief reason for'ihe failure of the previous attempts lay in thedifiiculty which was experienced: in obtaining a fixed point relatively to which the floating buoy was to oscillate vertically, but which should, neverther less, always remain a constant distancefrom thamiddle point of the vertical travel of the buoy, that is to say, from the undisturbed" level of the water. A' point fixed relatively. to the bottom of the sea clearly does not sat-..; isfy. this condition, as-the rise and fall of the general level of the water due tof'the tides 'alters the distance of the undisturbed level of the water from the bottom: By my invention I am enabled to overcome this diflic'ulty and provide a purchase-point capable "of offering resistance to upward and downward a horizontal plane intermediate between the crests and troughs of the waves. v

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying draw-- ings, Figures 1 and 2 of whichrepresent in elevation, partly broken away twofiifierent developed by the oscillation of the buoy is under pressure. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of portion of the apparatus shown inFig. 2.

platform crsubmerged resistance B, of any suitable'size or shape.- The mast or equivalent provides the flotation-power necessary for the platform. The platform or submerged- -mastprojecting above the surface of the,

,water. It will be found that such a platform will offer resistance to a vertically-displacing force. I

I may employ any desired-' iiiimber of plat- ,forms on the mast, and they gcan be of -'an;y suitable size and shape to increase the resisting power,- and I may use any convenient number of masts to connect the platforms and provide the necessary purchase for the operation of the buoyor. buoys hereinafter to be described. i v v Erepresents' a'buoy or other suitable float of convenient size and shape, which, as shown, consists of a cylindrical air-tight vessel .provided-with an axial cylindrical aperture F, through which the mast passes. This buoy is designed to rise and fallwith the waves, while the mast, owing to the-resisting power of tht platform B, remains comparatively stationmy, and it is from this motion of the buoy For. thejeonversion of the motion'of the transformed by pumps into a flowof water.

buoy into energy which can be transmitted to aconvenient distance I may employ one or more double-acting pumps, directly actuated by the reeiprocating'buoy to deliver water underpressu're to any convenient position for the-utilization of the. energy so obtained. In Fig. l'two such pumps are shown, adapted to take in water through the inlets G at both the up and down stroke and to deliverit un- Ice der pressure into a common delivery-pipe H, which may be flexible and of suflicient length to reach the place where the energy is required. The pump-barrels G G arecarried by the buoy F, and the rods I by a 'cross-' of this pump is secured on the mast A, which is thereby caused to fulfil the function of a pump-rod and at the same time serve for guiding the buoy F .in its upward and downward movement, as before described. The two ends of the barrel G, or the lower end of this barrel and the upper end of the cylin:

der, are provided with leather or equivalent packing-rings G, as shown, for example, in Fig. 3, which form proper working joints around the mast A.

In respects other than those last described the apparatus shown in Fig.2 is substantially similar to that before described with reference to Fig. 1, so that further description thereof is unnecessary. H

I consider that in most cases pumps are the best means of converting the motion of the buoy into available energy, but cases may arise where other means would be more suitable, and I wish it to be understood that I do not in any way limit myself to the use of pumps forsuch purpose. I v

I may employ any suitable method of mooring my apparatus, and when necessary may attach the cable-or chain to any convenient part.

. More than one apparatus such as I have described may be made to discharge into a common delivery-pipe or otherwise operate together.

The flow of water under pressure as obtained from my apparatus may be used to drive a hydraulic motor or to perform other useful work.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same isto .beperformed, I declare that what I claim'is- 1. The combination of a mast adapted to float in a vertical position with its upper end a suitable height above the water-level, and being of a length to extend into the comparatively undisturbed region of water, means for resisting vertical displacement of the mast, and a float or buoy moving on said mast with the rise and fall of the waves, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a mast adapted to float in a vertical position with its upper end a suitable height above the water-level, and being of a length to extendint'o the comparatively undisturbed region of water, a submerged resistance overcoming vertical displacement of the mast, and a float or buoy moving on said mast with the rise and fall of the waves, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a mast adapted to float in a vertical position with its upper end a suitable height above the water-level, and

being of a length .to extend into the compara, tively undisturbed region of water, a sub-' merged resistance overcoming vertical displacementof the mast, and capable of rising and falling with the tide, and a float or buoy moving on said mast with the rise and fall of the waves, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a mast adapted to float in a vertical-position with its upperend a suitable height above the water-level, and being of a length to extend into the comparatively undisturbed region of water, means for resisting vertical displacement of the mast, a float 0r buoy moving on said mast with the rise and fall of the waves, and means for converting the motion of the float or buoy into energy and for transmitting this energy to a distant point. for use, substantially as described.

5. The combination ofa mast adapted to float in a vertical position with its upper end a suitable height above the water-level, and

being of a length toextend into the comparatively undisturbed region of water, a resistance against vertical displacement of the mast, a cylindrical air-tight buoy moving with the rise and fall of the waves and having a central aperture through which the mast passes, and means for converting the motion of the buoy into energy for use at a distant point, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a mast adapted to float in a vertical position with its upper end a suitable height above the water-level, and being of a length to extend into the comparatively undisturbed region of water, means for resisting vertical displacement of the mast, a float or buoy moving on said mast with the rise and fall of the waves, and a pump also moving on the mast and operated by the float, substantially as described.

7. The combination of two flotation-bodies of which one is capable of rising and falling with the waves or agitated surface of the water, and the other body being constituted in .part by a resistance which maintains the body platform for the mast,.substantial1y as deposition relative to the mast,substantia11y-as sc'ribed. described. 4

9. The Combination of a ,mastadapfred to -In testimony whereof I havefhereto set my float in a, vertical position with its upper end hand in the presence ofjthe two subscribing 5 a suitable height above the water-level, and witnesses.

being of a length to'extend into the comparatively undisturbed region of Water, afloat I v moving on the mast with the rise andfall of Witnesses: the waves, and asubmerged resistance-for HAROLD WADE,

no the m'ast comprising a platform supported in HARRY S BRIDGES;

. BERNARD MORLEY FLETCHER. 

